Independence
by RunningGladiator
Summary: The White House hosts a Fourth of July BBQ. One-shot requested on Tumblr.


"Happy Independence Day, Ms. Pope" Olivia smiled at the greeting from the White House chef clad in semi-barbeque attire, his chef's whites in addition to a festive red apron.

"Happy Independence Day to you, Jeremy" she returned, placing a turkey burger on her plate along with a healthy serving of potato salad. The south lawn was adorned with tables and all manner of activities for the annual 4th of July barbeque. Olivia surveyed the crowd, looking for Cyrus and James, but secretly hoping to catch a glimpse of Fitz.

She had recently returned from her self-imposed exile having parted ways with Jake not long after they arrived on Scrub Island. She knew from the moment she left that Fitz would be looking for her and after a month of near isolation she was ready to let him find her. Their reunion had been anything but sweet, filled with arguments and loud differences of opinion, but they had somehow found their way to a truce. An understanding that their love was enough to withstand the death of a child and abusive parents and the distance and isolation of the Presidency. She admitted that he was the only man she would ever truly love and he conceded that there was nothing she could do that he wouldn't forgive. Now here they were, back in the same grey area they both longed to escape, desperately in love, but separated by circumstances.

"Liv, come sit with us" called Cyrus from a table situated at the far side of the lawn. She smiled, feeling her shoulders relax as she escaped her thoughts and focused on enjoying the meal with friends.

"Did you find enough food that you like?" Cyrus asked as she set her plate down on the table and swung her leg over the bench.

"Plenty" she gestured at the heaping plate before her.

"Turkey burger?" Cyrus inquired with a slight smirk.

"My favorite" she blushed at her plate, unable to make eye contact with Cyrus.

They ate leisurely, watching Ella play with the other kids, Teddy toddling along behind them. She relished the warmth of the afternoon sun on her face and the slight breeze that blew. They talked about mundane things, as friends do, everyone seemingly able to forget their political troubles and enjoy the day together.

**X-X**

Fitz rolled up his shirtsleeves, the heat of the afternoon combined with chasing his youngest son enough to make him much too warm in his pale pink oxford. His tanned muscular forearms flexed as he lifted Teddy.

"Let's go get you something to eat, Big Guy" he beamed, carrying the toddler in the direction of the food. He placed a turkey burger on Teddy's plate along with broccoli salad, potato salad, and a few potato chips then filled his own plate before searching out a place to sit.

"Can we join you?" his voice sent a shiver down her spine and every nerve in her body stood at attention.

Olivia grinned up at Fitz, taking Teddy in her arms, "I would never say no to the most handsome man in Washington" she spoke tenderly to Teddy then peeked at Fitz whose expression was a mix of feigned hurt and amusement, "I guess you can sit here too" her voice was smoky when she addressed him.

She watched him shift uncomfortably, clearing his throat several times, too focused on the plate in front of him.

"Let's see what your Daddy got for you Little Man" she whispered situating the plate in front of him, "This looks like a yummy turkey burger."

"I like turkey burgers" Teddy replied.

"I wonder where he gets that?" smirked Fitz, tipping his head in the direction of Olivia's plate.

"I wonder" came her wistful reply as their eyes met over Teddy's head.

They sat staring at one another for a long minute, sharing the moment, the unspoken feelings that flowed between them.

"Liv, you made it" Mellie appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, dragging both Fitz and Olivia back to the present.

"Mellie, good to see you" Fitz watched the Olivia Pope façade appear, "Thank you so much for inviting me. Everything is delicious."

"You'll have to stay for fireworks" Mellie suggested, "Fitz and I decided to have our own little fireworks display this year. We thought the kids would enjoy it."

"Sounds fantastic" Olivia tried to sound enthusiastic but found herself impatiently searching for Cyrus and Ella as a means of escape.

Having located them, she stood, "I need to go talk to Cyrus"

"No business today, Liv" Fitz caught her hand as she moved past him, a gesture that did not go unnoticed by Mellie.

"Yeah _Liv_" her name suddenly sounded like poison rolling off of Mellie's tongue, "no business talk. Today is supposed to be fun."

"Well we really need to…." Her voice trailed off as she pulled her hand from Fitz's and walked towards Cyrus, "Enjoy your lunch, Teddy" she added, almost as an afterthought.

"I hope she didn't leave on my account" Mellie feigned innocence.

"Right, Mellie" he replied tightly, concentrating on helping Teddy.

Fitz watched Mellie walk away, then turned back to his meal. He grinned at the thick, juicy burger in front of him, remembering all of the times Olivia tried to convince him that burgers were terrible for him. She would shake her head whenever he would order one on the campaign trail, always giving him part of her more healthy meal to sample. He would choke down bites of veggie burger or tofu, anything that Olivia would try to feed him, because it usually meant she was touching him, he was licking her fingers clean or taking food from the same fork that had graced her lips. He had to admit he didn't hate turkey burgers, and she had managed to get his kids to actually prefer them to beef burgers, but to him nothing beat a good old-fashioned burger at a summer picnic.

"Can I go play with Ella?" Teddy asked, a smile on his ketchup stained face.

"Let me clean you up and then you can go play" Fitz wiped his hands and face then watched as he hurried off to join the other children.

He looked in the direction of where Olivia stood talking to Cyrus. She was dressed much more casually than when she was at work, in a pale yellow sundress that covered to just above her knee. He liked the way it floated in the breeze, secretly hoping for a gust that might reveal more of what lay beneath. He licked his lips unconsciously at the thought of the body hidden by the flimsy cotton of her dress, the warm skin, the peak of her hip, her flat abdomen, and the curve of her naked breasts. He forced himself to turn away, taking a long pull from the beer bottle that sat next to his plate, urging the growing bulge in his pants to subside.

It had been months since he had made love to her, they had traveled the long road to forgiveness but had stopped short of consummating their relationship anew. At times she had stopped them, others it was him, still others it was one interruption or another. He had touched her body, held her close but they had yet to take that step again for fear it would somehow shake their already tenuous equilibrium.

**X-X**

Dusk closed in and many of the revelers had long since gone for the evening. Fitz sat in an Adirondack chair drinking a tumbler of scotch, watching the pyrotechnics crew set up their fireworks display.

"Is this seat taken?" her voice was the most precious melody to his ears as she slid herself into the chair next to his.

"Hi Livvie" he gave her the Grant smile that melted her heart, "Where did you disappear to?"

"Talking with Cy" she smiled over at him then took a sip of her wine.

He moved his glass into his left hand so he could reach his right towards her. The brush of his fingers over the back of her knuckles raised goose bumps on her arms and she turned her hand palm up on the arm of the chair. He took that as an invitation, lacing their fingers gently together, fearing that any sudden movement might scare her away. She closed her eyes, imagining that this was their life, unhurried, easy, and carefree.

"Mr. President I think we're all set" one of the pyrotechnicians called as he approached.

Olivia instinctively pulled her hand from Fitz's as the young man came closer. Fitz stood, taking another drink of his scotch, "Great, I'll go gather everyone and we'll start in ten."

The pyrotechnician seemed satisfied with that response and returned to his work. Fitz stepped between the two chairs, leaning impossibly close to Olivia's ear, "Don't go anywhere Beautiful" he whispered then trailed his tongue down her neck before ending with a kiss on her bare shoulder. She squeezed her thighs together, trying to stop the echoes from his touch.

Soon there was a gaggle of children flopped onto blankets, adults scattered across the lawn on chairs and blankets of their own. Mellie stood talking to several reporters there to cover the festivities while Fitz stood towards the back of the group. Olivia had spread out a blanket for Teddy and was perched next to him, awaiting the show.

The first burst of color hit the inky sky and everyone's focus was brought to the fireworks. Fitz watched as Teddy moved to sit with Ella, Cyrus, and James several yards away leaving Olivia alone on the white blanket in the grass.

She felt him before she saw him. He slid down behind her, his chest coming in contact with her back, his hand resting on her knee. She felt her entire body flush, the ache between her thighs beginning again.

"Livvie" he pulled her back against him, his erection pressing into the small of her back.

"They're beautiful" she whispered, her eyes sliding shut as ecstasy washed over her.

"You're beautiful" his voice was husky and she felt her panties grow wetter.

He allowed his finger to nudge the hem of her dress up her thigh, every inch of caramel skin exposed causing his erection to swell. He ached for her, to touch the parts of her that had seemed off limits for so long. Finally he took her hand, pulling her to her feet. Her legs were so wobbly, she barely trusted them to carry her wherever he was taking her.

She hurried behind him, her hand firmly in his, until they reached the Oval Office and he threw the door open, unceremoniously slamming it shut again. By then they were panting, their hearts beating at a pace neither felt they could sustain. He pulled her to the desk, pushing its contents to the floor with a crash, then his lips were on her, his hands tangling in her hair and sliding up her thighs, somehow he was possessing every inch of her.

They broke their kiss, her hands hurrying to unbutton his shirt and unfasten his pants, his struggling to lower the zipper on her dress to grant him access to her breasts. Her dress fell to the floor with a whoosh soon joined by his shirt and pants. Then he stopped, watching her stand before him in her bra and panties, chest heaving with the breath of desire, eyes dark with the glint of gold that touched them when they were together.

Then, just as quickly, he was on top of her, kissing her again, hungrily pulling at the last threads that covered her body. She wanted him, needed him to touch her. She stroked his length several times before he caught her wrist, an unspoken warning that the sensation was too much. He bent to pull her panties from her legs, leaving an open mouth kiss over her bundle of nerves as he returned his lips to hers.

"Fitz, I need you" she choked just before his mouth covered hers and her words melded into deep sighs and moans.

He ran his thick fingers through her folds, grinning against her lips at how wet she was for him. Wanting to waste no time, worried that they would be interrupted, he plunged into her, filling her to the brim. She felt tighter than he remembered and he was bigger than she recalled.

"Damn it Livvie" he growled through gritted teeth, "So fucking tight"

She opened her mouth to respond but a long thrust left her speechless. His pace was relentless, both knowing their time was short. She held onto him, knotting her hands in his hair and gripping his muscular back. He held her hips tight, knowing he was likely leaving marks on her dainty flesh. She felt the rise of her climax spreading through her, every thrust urging her towards the edge.

His grunts mixed with her cries of pleasure setting a score for the exploding show in the sky outside.

"Fuck…..Fitz…..don't…st….." then she was gone, her voice reduced to sweet keening moans as she contracted against him.

"Livvie…..Livvie" every thrust brought her name from his lips until his face contorted into the most beautiful vision and he surged into her one last time.

They traded sweet kisses as they sat holding one another. His lips soothed the marks he'd left on her and her hands revisited the parts of him she had missed all of these months apart. The finale of the fireworks show exploded outside the window, lighting their bodies in flashed of red, white, and blue. July 4th was the day of Independence for the country but now it was the same for Fitz and Olivia. They were free, free from the fear of what it meant to be together, free to love and be loved by the other. Just as a new country had been born on that day in 1776 so was a new reality for Olivia and Fitz.


End file.
